


Mikey and Nicky

by geocentrist



Category: Mikey and Nicky (1976)
Genre: (oh hello voice) one-sided telephone calls, 1970s, John Cassavates, M/M, Peter Falk - Freeform, WIP, gangster movies, guys being dudes, thanks and apologies to elaine may
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:35:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23574757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/geocentrist/pseuds/geocentrist
Summary: Mikey and Nicky! Guys being dudes. This is a work in progress, because it’s late and I’m going to bed. Some of the dialogue in this is lifted & re-adapted from the movie.
Relationships: Mikey/Nicky
Comments: 4
Kudos: 37





	Mikey and Nicky

**scene one**

(Close-up on Nicky talking from a pay phone. The first thing we notice is his eyes.)

NICKY

Hey, Mikey? Oh, Jan? Could I speak to Mikey please? It’s urgent. No, everything’s alright. 

(Through the phone we hear: _haven’t heard from you in . . . calling from the street at [inaudible] in the morning_ )

NICKY

No, everything’s alright, I was just out late on a couple errands and I lost track of the—listen, could I speak to Mikey, please? Yeah, alright. 

(Nicky stands absolutely still as he waits for Mikey to come to the phone.) 

NICKY

Hey, Mikey? Listen, you doing anything? You busy?

Well, I thought maybe you could meet me for a drink. Yeah, I know what time it is. Listen, could you meet me in half an hour? I’m at the Carlyle Hotel on Ridge Street. What do you mean, listen, I just want to talk to you, they got a bar here, I just want to talk to you. Okay. Okay, thanks, Mikey. 

(Nicky hangs up, leans against his elbow on the wall of the phone booth and exhales, grimacing. Someone knocks on the phone booth.)

NICKY 

Oh, sorry. 

***

**scene two**

(From a bit of a distance, we see Nicky, smoking and pacing in front of the front of the hotel, which has an awning but no doorman. Mikey gets out of a cab. Nicky drops his cigarette and jogs over.) 

NICKY 

Mikey! 

(Nicky an arm around him and walks him toward the front entrance. As they recede from the camera:) 

NICKY

Hey, thanks for coming, you know, I appreciate it. 

MIKEY

You had to be all the way on the other side of town?

NICKY

Oh, listen, I’m sorry about that. 

(Now we’re inside the hotel lobby. It’s a little rinky-dink, with vinyl siding and dim, warm light, but not too seedy. There’s no one in the lobby except the woman at the front desk, who is watching a little TV on the side of her booth.)

MIKEY

I took a cab ‘cause, you know, who knows about parking downtown on a Saturday, even this time of night— 

NICKY

Oh hey, listen, let me pay you for the cab.

MIKEY

Come on, Nicky, you don’t have to do that. That’s not what I meant. Here, you can buy me a drink. Where’s the hotel bar? 

NICKY

There isn’t one. 

(Little moment)

MIKEY

OK, so let’s go around the corner. I passed a couple of places on the way over here. 

NICKY

Look, I got some bourbon and ice up in my room. 

MIKEY

Nicky—

NICKY

(slowly, looking at him carefully:) 

Just come up and have a drink with me. I need to talk to you about something. Would you just come up and have a drink with me, Mikey? One drink. Come on. 

(Mikey shakes his head and heads for the stairs. Nicky follows him.) 

MIKEY

OK, Nicky 

***

**scene three**

(Mikey and Nicky coming down the hotel hallway. They’ve just climbed four flights of stairs. They’re out of breath.)

MIKEY

Jesus isn’t there a law about elevators? 

NICKY

A law, what do you mean

MIKEY

Like you can’t have a hotel, or a building, a certain number of flights without an elevator 

NICKY

(finding the door, finding his hotel key) 

Maybe, but this building is only six stories 

MIKEY

(leaning against the wall by the door, laughs)

Right. Boy I am out of shape 

NICKY

What are you talking about, you look fine

MIKEY

Can’t climb stairs like I used to—you opening that door or what? 

NICKY

I got it, I got it. Take it easy. 

(Nicky opens the door. 

As Mikey and Nicky enter the room, and Nicky switches on the bedside lamp, we see that the room is littered with newspapers, clothes, ashtrays, empty glasses) 

MIKEY

Jesus Christ. How long you been staying here?

(As Nicky fixes two bourbons, one straight and one on the rocks, from the sideboard, he looks over at Micky across the room) 

NICKY

Three weeks. 

MIKEY

Three weeks? 

What happened, Annie threw you out?

(Nicky nods, handing Mikey the drink with ice. Mikey takes it without breaking his gaze.) 

MIKEY

That’s terrible. 

She won’t talk to you?

NICKY

(sits on the bed) 

I’ve been calling every day. I went by, the other day I went by in person, she wouldn’t open the door, said she’ll call the police if I ever go there again. Won’t even let me see my kid.

MIKEY

Gee, that’s terrible. 

NICKY

I don’t know what to do. 

(Nicky makes a gesture of despair with his hands and starts crying.) 

NICKY

I mean, I don’t know what I’m gonna do. 

MIKEY

Oh, hey, come on.

(Mikey goes and sits on the bed with Nicky, puts his arm around his shoulder. Nicky buries his head in Mikey’s neck and cries, repeating his line over and over.) 

MIKEY

Hey, it’s alright. Here, have some of your drink, huh? That’s it. 

(Nicky sits up, sniffles and has a big gulp of his drink.) 

NICKY

I don’t know what I’m gonna do, Mikey. I mean it’s never been this long she doesn’t talk to me. Never. Even when things were really bad, a lot worse than—you know? I think it’s her mother, putting all these ideas into her head that I’m no good, that I’m dangerous—

MIKEY

No, I don’t…

NICKY

Yes! You should see the way this woman talks about me, like I’m the creature from the black lagoon.

(Mikey smiles a little) 

NICKY

Oh, that’s funny?

MIKEY

Well, it’s a little funny.

NICKY

Yeah, I guess so. 

(Laughs) 

(Nicky looks away from Mikey and out at the room, leans his head on Mikey’s shoulder again.) 

NICKY

Anyway, thanks for coming down to talk to me about it. 

(Mikey puts his hand on the side of Nicky’s head and pats it: an awkward, tender gesture. We see the flash of his pinky ring. He takes a sip of his drink.

Close-up: Nicky turns and looks up at Mikey, still leaning against his shoulder. He speaks very quietly.) 

NICKY

You’re a good friend, you know that?

MIKEY

(Half-smiling, bemused:) 

You think so? 

NICKY

(flicks his nose) 

Yeah. 

(They look at each other for a moment, then Mikey turns and finishes his drink.) 

NICKY

Oh, look at that, you finished your drink. 

(Mikey looks at Nicky with a stern, unreadable face. Nicky smiles nervously, cringingly, and puts his hand on Mikey’s neck, running his thumb over his jaw. Mikey doesn’t move a muscle. Nicky leans in and kisses Mikey softly, then stops, breaths once, kisses him again, a little more this time. Mikey doesn’t kiss back, but doesn’t stop Nicky. Then Mikey turns and looks down at his hands, playing with his watch. He speaks quietly, but firmly:) 

MIKEY

Nicky, we can’t—we can’t keep doing this. I’m sorry. 

NICKY

(also quiet; they’re both almost whispering, like kids at a slumber party) 

Why not? 

I won’t tell anybody. 

(Mikey snorts and cracks a half-smile.) 

NICKY

Oh, look at that, I made him smile. 

Please?

MIKEY

I wish you wouldn’t—

(Nicky nuzzles at him and kisses his neck)

I wish you wouldn’t only call me when you—

NICKY

When what?

MIKEY

When there’s no one else. 

NICKY

Hey—

MIKEY

You only want to be my friend when there’s no one else around. 

NICKY

(Pulling back a little, speaking at a normal volume) 

That’s not true. What are you talking about? I'm your friend when other people are around.

MIKEY 

No, you're not. 

(He stands up) 

You don't know who I am when other people are around. I spoke to you maybe five times since you met Dave Resnick. I introduced you, I got you the job and now I can't get you on the phone.

NICKY

What are you talking about?

Hey, what are you talking about?

Are you crazy?

MIKEY

I call, and you never call me back!

NICKY

You don't call me. You haven't called me in weeks.

MIKEY

Yeah, because after six weeks you don't call back, I don't call anymore.

Hey, you don't even say hello to me.

I walk into that restaurant, you're sitting with Dave Resnick and Sid Fine and I gotta say hello to you three times and you don't answer and when I walk away, I hear you say: Jesus Christ! Call that guy back. I forgot to give him the order. 

NICKY

That was a joke.

MIKEY

That joke was for Resnick.

NICKY

For you, not for Resnick. That's why I said it loud enough for you to hear it. That was a joke for you.

Mikey, everybody says everything. I mean, what's the difference? I was kidding. Don't you ever kid?

MIKEY

You make me out a joke to Resnick.

NICKY

No. Mikey, that’s what you’re sore about? That was months ago. 

MIKEY

Yeah, and then I don’t hear from you! Until now, because you can’t get through to Annie. 

I bet you call five or six girls before you call me, huh? 

NICKY

Mikey, you’re wrong. I didn’t call anyone—

MIKEY

And I’d do anything for you. 

Anything. 

And unless you’re sick, or you’re lonely, or you’re in trouble, and there’s no one else to call—

NICKY

You’re wrong. 

I love you. 

MIKEY 

Oh, you love me, huh? Well, that’s just terrific. You love me. 

NICKY

It’s true. 

MIKEY

You’re unbelievable, you know that? 

You got one line, you think it works on everyone. Well, it might work on some of your girls, but it’s not working on Annie and it’s not working on me. Okay?

(Turns to get his hat) 

Now I’m going home to my wife. 

NICKY

Mikey!

(He bolts across the room and throws himself in front of the doorway.) 

Hey, listen, come on, don’t be like that. I’m sorry, alright? What do you want me to say? I’m sorry. Look, you’re not really planning on going home tonight. 

MIKEY 

(Angrily putting on his coat:) 

Oh, no? 

NICKY

Listen, I know you. You took a cab. 

MIKEY

(Freezes, stands there furious) 

So?

NICKY

You never take a cab unless you have to, you always drive, there’s never any trouble finding parking around here this time of night. Come on. 

MIKEY

I thought we were going to have a couple of drinks, and I don’t like to drive when—

NICKY

That’s not what you said. 

MIKEY

What? 

NICKY

When you got here, first thing you said to me, you took a cab because of the parking. 

MIKEY

So who gives a shit what I said? 

NICKY

You were never good at lying even when we were kids 

MIKEY

That’s not true I’m a terrific liar 

(Beat: standoff. Nicky smiles and Mikey almost smiles. They look at each other. Mikey goes over to the phone, sits on the bed. Nicky leans against the door and watches him. Mikey dials, waits while the phone rings, not looking at Nicky.) 

MIKEY

Hey, sweetheart? Sorry to call—no, everything’s alright. Listen, I just wanted to let you know I don’t think I’m gonna make it home tonight. No, everything’s alright, I just need to help Nicky take care of something. Remember to get tomatoes, alright? Okay, I’ll see you in the morning. Okay. 

NICKY

(from the door)

Tomatoes?

MIKEY

It’s a little code we have, if I’m not in any danger, I say tomatoes. If I am, I say sugar. If she needs to get everybody out of the house, I say cream. 

NICKY 

Has that ever—

MIKEY

No, you know, just in case. 

NICKY

She’s a good woman. 

MIKEY

She’s a terrific woman. Terrific mother. 

NICKY

Mmm. 

MIKEY

Oh, hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—

NICKY

No, it’s alright. 

MIKEY

Hey. 

(Mikey mouths the words _c’mere_ while gesturing with his hand and tossing his head back, smiling. He pats the bed next to him like you would for a cat. Nicky walks over and sits next to him.)

MIKEY

Now, you think you’re gonna be able to sleep? 

NICKY

Yeah, I guess so. 

MIKEY

Okay. Take off your shoes. 

(They both take off their shoes in silence.) 

MIKEY

And your belt. 

(Nicky takes off his belt, looking at Mikey like he’s trying to figure out what his game is.) 

MIKEY

Good. Now lie down. 

(Nicky lies down. Mikey turns, switches off the lamp, and lies down next to him. He big-spoons him, putting one arm around his neck and one arm around his waist and drawing him closer.) 

MIKEY

Now go to sleep. 

(Silence) 

NICKY

Mikey—

MIKEY

Sleep. We’ll talk about it in the morning. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
